The land lay out before her like a velvet carpet of the richest possible green, dotted with stands of beautiful trees blooming with flowers of a vibrant pink that Celestia had never seen before in her entire life. The sight was breathtaking instantly as the plains rolled down toward a broad river, and beyond that a vast and darkly plumaged forest that stood in stark contrast to the vibrancy of the flowers in the trees. “Goddess, they’re amazing,” she half whispered as the moonlight poured down amongst them. “But… Moon Dancer, what is wrong about these?” Her confusion was strong, but she wasn’t going to dismiss Moon Dancer because of a little confusion. For all she knew she was simply missing something.

Moon Dancer blinked at her, then shook her head as if to clear a thought. “Those are Sakura trees, Princess.” She pointed her hoof at the beautiful pink blossoms as they swayed gently in the breeze. “ Silent mo-” She cut off the name, then took a deep and heavy breath before speaking again, “My marefriend took me to see a small grove of them that was maintained by some kind of meditative monastery high up in the mountains.” She took to the wing and darted down to one of the trees, actually quite gracefully. When she returned with a blossom, she hoofed it over to Celestia. “They kept them because Sakura trees are uniquely sensitive to the turning of the seasons. They only bloom for the two weeks before the first day of summer and two weeks before the first day of winter.”

It took a moment as she breathed in the heady aroma of the blossom to absorb those words. “What!? But…” Celestia nearly whirled on the batpony, spitting out the words as she went. “That would mean winter is going to begin only a few days after Nightmare Night, and that’s impossible!” It had to be impossible. She knew the Equestrian weather service schedule like the back of her hoof. Winter wasn’t due to begin until just a few weeks before Hearths Warming. A late start to make up for the heavy blizzards they were going to lay down this year.

But Moon Dancer shook her head. “Celestia, has it occured to you that there aren’t any pegasi here? Or at least, none that we’ve seen?” She crossed her hooves over her chest, her golden eyes narrowing and her tone… sinister. “Who do you think manages the weather around here? Because I can tell you right now that somepony does.” She waved her hoof airily toward the cloud-free skies that allowed the bright moonlight to pour onto the plains. “See up there? No signs of rogue weather. No out of control clouds, and we haven’t had a single day of rain since we arrived. It’s supposed to be early fall.”

Celestia stared up at the sky… and wondered why she hadn’t put the pieces together herself. Unicorns could control the weather if they put their minds to it, but they were simply not as good at it as pegasi were. They couldn’t handle cloud wrangling alone, and doing storm work required them to be active in the middle of the storm in question, and that was only two reasons out of an entire list of them. That meant… “Goddess preserve me,” she half whispered, touching her hoof to her mouth. Winter was going to hit mere days before they reached the coast. And I’ve no doubt there will be a truly epic storm to greet us there, she thought bitterly, closing her eyes and wishing she could rest her head on something.

Moon Dancer snorted. “Yeah, thats what I said. There’s no way in Tartarus we’re going to get this army to Equestria before winter hits. Even if we took control and marched today, we’d be crossing the eastern seas during the most dangerous time of the year.” The batpony trotted over and stared out into the beauty of the pastoral scene before them, her voice firm. “We’ve been played, Princess. I’m sorry.” She did sound sorry too… almost bitterly so.

Celestia took a deep breath and forced herself to think. She would not allow emotion or anger to cloud her judgement in this, she had to determine why this had happened and what had been the calculus behind it. No matter how desperate she was to return to Twilight… And perhaps therein lay the key. Desperation to keep her here, or perhaps to avoid getting into a costly and difficult war in a foreign land. Anyone could have been responsible, right up to the Empress herself. There were, of course, ways to fix this. Easy solutions. Solutions that were violent, dark, and as morally deplorable as anything in the entire world. Solutions that, were Celestia any other pony, she might easily be able to rationalize given what was going on in Equestria.

But it was ‘easy solutions’ that had gotten her here in the first place. The easy solution had been to contain Twilight until she could be cured, and look what that had wrought. No, she was going to need to do this the hard way… and Equestria was going to have to suffer for it. Not for the first time these past weeks, Celestia desperately wished to simply break down and weep. She wished she had the time or the luxury to do just that, to damn the world and simply turn inward upon herself for a time until she could get control over her emotions… but she did not have the time. Her foe moved with the speed of a lightning bolt.

She had precious few resources to draw on that would not… well, the weapons that remained secreted in her saddle bags might certainly make all of this a moot point, but the damage they would do might be catastrophic. Winter was necessary to ensure that life could thrive. The earth needed to rest beneath the cold snow so that it could bring forth growth renewed in the spring. This was the way of things, and not even the merciless gaze of the sun could change that.

So she took another deep breath and forced down the pain and terror, right down into her gut. She forced it down, bottled it up, and stowed it away within the dark recesses of her soul. She would be delayed a minimum of three or four moons, and possibly longer if the spring was a violent one. She now had to accept the fact that her precious land would once again be plunged into civil war, and that worse still, her window to save Twilight’s soul might have long since passed by then.

When she at last opened her eyes again, she knew they would have changed. “Moon Dancer. I have a mission for you,” she said in the calmest of tones. The batpony stared at her jerkily, as though she had yelled. Perhaps there was something in her voice, but she no longer cared. “You must carry a message to Luna. I dare not send a scroll by magic given the sensitivity of the missive. You will leave the camp tonight, under cover of darkness.” Celestia gazed up at the moon, the memory of a time so many centuries ago now stabbing at her heart. “I will ensure no creature can track you in the light of day.”

“But…” Moon Song began hesitantly, and she licked her lips almost nervously. “You’re in danger here, Princess. Somepony’s got to watch your back.” Her tone was soft and concerned, but Celestia did not need to pay it heed.

It was true, she was in some kind of danger here. But it was not danger of physical harm or the danger of her being trapped. It was a danger of the heart, that she had let her emotions and her concern carry her away from noticing her foes biting at her withers. Like Nightmare Moon, all over again. Except this time… This time, she would not lose Twilight. She would not lose her for a thousand years, leaving her alone and cold in the world once again. No. This time, she would wrest that creature from Twilight’s soul and bind it forever in chains forged of pure sunlight. She would make it clear to all the creatures of the world the dark demon responsible for this madness, and if anypony tried to defy her… This time, she would not hesitate to defend that which she loved. Whatever the cost might be.

But for now, she needed to act swiftly and decisively. “No, Moon Dancer. I will be fine.” She turned resolutely on the spot, fetching quill, ink, and parchment from her bag. “You must take this missive to Luna. They will need my word to mobilize the Guard.” The words flowed from the quill mechanically, the stern print of a royal decree had to be unmistakable. “Inform her that she is to find General Clausewitz, and place him in direct command. If he cannot be found...” Her voice broke for a moment, as she tried to contemplate a world in which Otto von Clausewitz had been taken by the darkness, and found it too horrible to bear. “Then she is to take command personally. Equestria must be defended… and she will know what must be done.”

The missive so written, she extracted a lump of golden wax and her horn lit to a brighter power as she focused a single intense ray of heat upon the tip, dripping it upon the document in damning globules of wax. A moment later, she pressed the royal seal into the stuff, feeling the hammerblow in her soul at what she was effectively ordering. It would be decades, perhaps even centuries, before the memory of this act would be forgotten…But fate often demanded cruel necessities.

Moon Dancer had fallen silent as Celestia stuffed the scroll into the message case and offered it to her. For a few long moments, Moon Dancer did nothing and simply stared at the case. Then she sighed and nodded once. “Okay. But…” She brandished a hoof at Celestia, her eyes narrow. “You promise me that you won’t trust anyone unless you can absolutely verify they’re on the level. We can’t afford to lose you because you got cocky, Princess. There’s nopony else who can do what you can.”

Celestia opened her mouth to dismiss such an absurd notion… but snapped it shut. She’s right, damn her eyes. She could not afford the pitfalls of overconfidence, nor to be hamstrung by unseen tripwires. “I promise,” she half whispered, knowing that her new attitude was going to be hard on one particular pony she had no desire to harm… even if that pony was foolishly the one behind this all. I shall have to verify her first then. There are ways, even if they will not be easy on her… or me.

Moon Dancer nodded, grabbing the case in her mouth and tucking it into her saddlebags. “I’ve got some contacts in the ports here. I oughta be able to find a ship without too much trouble. Gonna take me a few weeks to get to Canterlot undetected though. I don’t want Winterlight to know I’m there till it’s too late.” Moon Dancer glanced up at the moon and nodded once. “Be safe, Princess. See you after the winter.” And then she was gone, zipping up into the sky without a further word.

Celestia watched her vanish into the night, then turned back toward camp. She was going to have to have words with Whisper… and they were not going to be enjoyable ones.

Luna’s moon soared through the skies as Twilight carefully tapped the last tent stake into place, glad for the lessons Rainbow Dash had given her on the subject so long ago. Magic was fantastic as tool but not so good at replacing actual skill. Mother was… away for the moment, searching through the caves and shadows in the area for signs of the Hive. She needed no sleep... or at least, needed no sleep beyond that which Twilight got.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, had been so exhausted after the day’s travel that she’d curled up and immediately gone to sleep upon the decision to make camp. Twilight had been concerned at first, but just a touch of the shadow confirmed that she simply needed a little rest. That left her alone for the first time in…. well, seemingly forever. The world whirled silently around her as a touch of magic lit a pile of tumblewood into a campfire and a burning twig lit the pair of oil lanterns hanging near the edge of camp. Even if she was certain she could handle any danger that might come by, it was best to take as few chances as possible.

Those tasks accomplished, she tossed out a big soft blanket next to the fire and curled up into it to stare at the flames. How long had it been since she’d taken an evening just for herself? To play games with her friends, or to curl up with a good book? Not since before the Summer Sun Celebration and… everything happened. Saving the world was never easy, but this time… This time its different. You’ve already had to take so many severe steps, and you’re not even close to done.

Twilight felt tired. Not… physically tired. In fact, she hadn’t really felt physical tiredness for a long time now. No, she felt mentally exhausted. She needed to rest, to restore herself, and there was simply no time. Of course, after this… after this there might be time. The solution had been so utterly simple, of course. A simple application of an enemy’s strength turned into a weakness that could be exploited. There were complications to that, but most of them she could bypass with Umbra’s help.

Twilight closed her eyes, trying not to think of what she was about to take on herself and tried instead to think of something… anything else. What had happened to her family, and Cadence? What had happened to Shiny after Winterlight had overstepped her authority? And most importantly and terrifyingly of all, where was Celestia and why had she vanished so suddenly?

It simply didn’t make sense. Celestia wasn’t the sort of pony to be running off for no good reason. There had to be something important behind it, and Twilight didn’t buy the ‘sudden diplomatic needs’ horsepucky that Mrs. Inkwell’s form letter had claimed. No, Celestia didn’t leave Canterlot unless there were world-shaking events in the offing, and that deeply troubled Twilight. She should have been there, been on hoof when events began to go out of control. She could be there right now, alongside her teacher and her closest companion ensuring the safety of Equestria. Other threats could have waited, if this was so dire as to summon Celestia to a faraway land.

But alas, she had been so caught up in her own crusade that she had forgotten about her greater responsibilities. She could only hope that Celestia would forgive her when she returned. Perhaps then they could finally talk, and Twilight could finally explain what was going on. Maybe another Ghastly Gorge would never be needed. Maybe… just maybe she could end this without another war against her own kind.

But perhaps that was far too naive of her. She would need to prove, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that she was doing the right thing. She would need to do so in such a way that nopony could deny her dedication to Equestria and the innocent citizens therein. She needed, in short, to deal with Chrysalis once and for all. Surely then Cadence would realize that it had simply been a misunderstanding. Surely then Shiny would write her back again.

Surely then, things would be okay.

She didn’t even realize the tears were falling until a soft hoof brushed them away. She didn’t even realize her shivers of pain and loneliness until a warm body pressed up against her side… not Mother, no. Mother was still far afield. “You should be asleep, Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered, trying to hide her tears in shame. She had to be strong for her friends… so they would all be safe from the horrors of what had to be done. No matter how much it hurt to push them away, she could not let them carry this burden as she did.

“I will sleep later,” Fluttershy murmured softly, nuzzling her cheek with nothing more than gentle affection against Twilight’s. “You’re crying right now, not after I’ve woken up.” That seemed to be the end of it as far as she was concerned, as a warm, ethereal wings wrapped around her and gently held her to Fluttershy’s body. “It’s okay, Twilight. I’m there too.”

The words were initially confusing, and Twilight worked her lips silently for a moment as she tried to find the right thing to say about it, but… Nothing came out. Fluttershy’s head craned to the north for a moment, her voice sad. “I miss my friend, Twilight.” Her whisper was half a sob, half a bitter declaration. “For all of his strangeness, for all of his ill-behavior, he was still my friend. He understood me, knew every horrible thing about me, and he didn’t care one bit. He liked me just the way I was.”

Twilight could only feel the lump in her throat grow at every word, because to be honest she’d never even considered how Fluttershy would feel about Discord. There is so much you’ve failed to account for already, Twilight. What’s one more thing? The thought was bitter indeed, but she would take her medicine like a good filly, bitter or not. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy.” It seemed the only thing she could say given how impossible it was to now fix. Discord and Umbra seemed to have a mutually antagonistic relationship… not surprising, given that they were probably just as old as one another.

Discord would not accept mere reconciliation. He feared Umbra to a certain extent, and he would want Fluttershy back unmolested or touched by the Shadow if for no other reason than to ensure his safety. Though Twilight bitterly disagreed with the calculus involved, she could not disagree that it was a smart precaution from his perspective. “It’s okay, Mistress,” Fluttershy whispered softly, turning her head back and gently returning to her nuzzling. “You’ve just got to slow down a little. You’ve been rushing to-and-fro so very much, and we’re all worried about you… You need to come back to Ponyville for a while and stay. Relax.”

Her words had subtly shifted in tone, from sadness to a soothing lilt. Twilight felt herself becoming drowsy and warm under them, her eyes half lidding and muscles long tensed slowly un-knotting. She felt her mouth form half-formed sounds of pain and denial, but they were gently whisked away by a soft hoof. “Hush now… Quiet now,” Fluttershy murmured, the whisper-silk feel of her wings brushing along Twilight’s shoulders felt rather nice actually. “Time to rest your head…” Her words penetrated past all of the worry and fear, ebbing them away like a warm bath.

Twilight felt her eyes droop down to closed as a warm darkness flooded in around her, and sleep finally came as Fluttershy’s voice drifted into her dreams.

“I’ll keep you safe, Twilight… even from her.”

Far away from the camp, Umbra felt her beloved drift into sleep and felt a sigh of relief escape her mortal body. As much fun as she had with a physical form again, she was actually quite thankful for the unconscious displays of emotion it seemed prone to. It made it easier to keep track of her internal thoughts when she was busy worrying about other things… like her poor beloved’s mental state.

Umbra had now long ago discarded any notion that what she felt was anything other than a wonderful blessing, and a sign from the Creator that at last she’d hit upon the right thing to do. Love, it seemed, had been the missing ingredient from the mixture that would see her power restored and the world returned to its rightful monarch. Perhaps if she had only been wiser, she might have seen the power of this emotion long, long ago. But then, she would never have met Twilight Sparkle. So perhaps, it was better this way.

Her mind ranged across the shadows of the Badlands as she leapt from butte to crevasse to mountainside, sending her power deep into the caves to find the signs. Signs that would lead her to one of her earliest experiments, one that had created a race which subsisted solely on stolen emotional energy. The signs of biological cement and discarded chitin, and the subtle waves of energy that each and every changeling gave off. All of which would lead her back to-

Her mind hit a wall of power, almost like a sphere of force and recoiled in sudden alarm. At first, the sphere did nothing, not even bothering to notice her presence… and then it shifted slightly, as the attention of that power turned to where she had impacted it. Umbra stared into the unseen power in fascination as it bubbled and flexed, retreating into the Shadow to see what would happen.

Within mere moments, a small swarm of beetle like changeling drones buzzed in from a far deeper cave and lit the area with their pseudo horns. The sick green light swept through the area, but could not find purchase on Umbra’s shadow as they searched for the interloper. She half smiled, watching the tiny strands of green energy tugging and twitching from around the changeling’s auras and shook her head in silent amazement. Twilight had been right - the Swarm, lacking any direction from her or the Shadowtouched, had evolved and created a replacement for her.

A Queen.

In truth, Umbra was very much looking forward to meeting this Queen Chrysalis. For all of her considerable life, she had always been fascinated by how organic life adapted to changing circumstances. A product, she was certain, of her Creator’s own fascination with the subject. The Swarm itself was also acting in a curiously different manner - far more focused and driven than she had ever managed to make it. Benefits of this Queen I must presume. Though Twilight had been certain Chrysalis would not cooperate, Umbra had a faint hope that she could be persuaded to join her cause. A creature that had evolved specifically to fill a role cast in her own image might be a fascinating lover indeed.

The swarm of changelings departed the area quickly, and Umbra felt a smirk cross her face. Finding the hive would still be very difficult, but at least she now had a place to start. It did not take her long to both flee the cave and memorize her path to where she had encountered the bubble, and so found herself left with a night sky filled with brilliant stars and nothing particular to do. Her lover needed to rest, and the yellow one was likely sleeping still as well.

So in the silence of the night, she simply perched upon a particularly tall bit of rock and watched the moon gently drift overhead. She often wondered if the Creator was still out there, still plying her artistry upon the cosmos. She wondered what Twilight might think of her… And then blushed horribly as she realized she was thinking of it in terms of introducing one’s fiancee to one’s parents. It was embarrassing.

Then she felt it.

The subtle twinge of the wind.

The whisper of summer warmth upon her skin.

The soft sigh of the earth as it gave way to its guardian.

She whirled in place, every inch of her black fur standing on end as the White Doe stood silently, mere feet away from her. She had changed not one iota in the millenium since they had last confronted one another. Her subtle, soft blue eyes and pure-as-the-driven snow coat a polar opposite to her inky blackness. Were their species not different, they would have been perfect opposites of one another. Appropriate, given that it was what they were.

At first she said nothing, her cheeks still burning red with the thoughts of only a few moments before. The Doe wore nor armor nor armament, her horns were not clad in the golden steel of the Hart… She had not come to make war. Umbra felt some of the tension go out of her spine, but still felt wary. She could barely recall the last time the Doe had come to her like this - unclad and unadorned, her carriage as gentle as she had ever seen it. When had been the last time?

“Just before the fall of the Mad Zebrican, Mab,” The Doe’s voice was soft, almost gentle. It was full of the whispering winds of the earth over which she held sway, and as deep in strength as the roots of the mountain. “When I came to you and begged you to surrender yourself, that I might spare you the harm of being sealed into the book once again. A very, very long time ago, now.”

The Doe took a single gentle step toward her and Mab took an equal step back away from her. The Doe’s voice remained soft, but there was almost a… pride there. “I had thought for so very long that no creature could possibly sway your dark soul. To know that there is indeed something out there you care for more than yourself is… a wonderful thing. Who is she, Mab?” Her voice took on a subtle, teasing tone… almost… almost….

Umbra banished that thought away and growled back at the infuriating creature. “You will not take one step toward her, Titania. You will not touch her, lest I rip the soul from every one of your precious deerfolk children and use them for practice!” She slammed her hoof into the ground and the earth shook beneath them, keening at the feel of her dark forces slamming against them. “Why have you come here? To taunt me? I will not take such actions kindly, Titania.” Her temper was getting away from her, but she could not suppress the fear within her soul. The Doe was more than capable of spiriting Twilight away right now if she knew where to find her, and if she did so, everything would be lost.

But the Doe shook her head slowly, her eyes sad. “No, dear one. I have come to once again beg you to cast aside this foolishness and come home before more are slaughtered for your pointless greed. We shall provide you and the one you love with protection, hide you both away from the world so that none may harm you.” She took a step forward again, and once again Umbra gave ground with a growl of warning. The Doe spoke slightly more firmly, her eyes narrowed. “You cannot succeed, Mab. And this time, your arrogance will cost you far more than your freedom if you do not give way. I may regret the cruel necessity of what I must do, but I will do it just the same.”

Umbra licked dry lips for a moment, then slammed her eyes shut. It was true that no matter how brilliant her plans, the Doe had always found a way to thwart her. And this time… this time she truly did have far more to lose in the offing of those plans. But that only meant she finally had the one thing she’d never had before - a reason to fight on beyond any and all reason. “No, Titania. I will not give way. I know you all too well, and know what you will do to me if I surrender to you.” She felt the shiver of fear down her spine, but it was banished a moment later. She was… calm. Almost oddly so. “Your promises ring hollow, dear one. We both know you could not bear for one moment any creature being under my sway, no matter what she might mean to me.”

The Doe stared at her in shock at that, and Umbra smiled bitterly. “You will lock me up in that book again, as is the duty he set you. Whatever you might promise, Sister, we both know that you will never, ever defy his commands. No matter what you might claim.” She could feel the bitterness of her words seeping out from her teeth and tried to reign it in. She was not going to let her anger at that abominable relation make her vulnerable.

The Doe sighed softly. “And yet, still you blame me for what he did to you, Sister? That my existence stands as a testament to what has been taken from you? That the power the Hart ripped from you is the very reason I came into being at all?” She sounded sad again, and it infuriated Umbra. But the Doe shook her head again. “We were meant to exist like this, Mab. Black to White, Light to Dark. It is the way the world must be, for there must be a balance in all things. I only wish for you to accept that, and attend to your duties alongside me, for we are one and the same!” Her words thundered across the ground, and the earth shook beneath her hooves.

The Doe’s voice began to raise, to the point where she was actually yelling at her. “Do you think I enjoy imprisoning you? Do you think I do not weep every time I must lock you within that infernal tome so that the world would be made safe from your madness? Do you think I do not care for you!?” Overhead, clouds began to darken and coalesce, and Umbra felt her power gathering within her. A battle against the Doe would never be a certain thing, but it was becoming clear she would have to defend herself.

But the anger drained from the Doe’s eyes as she crouched low in a combat position, replaced only by weary resignation and sadness. “Because I do, dear one. I love you, for you are as much a part of me as I am a part of you.” Then she closed her eyes, her voice firming and steadying. “There is still more than time, Sister,” The Doe whispered softly, as she turned in place and the darkening clouds dispersed. “You need only come to the Wood, and we will see to the safety of you and your loved one.” She turned away fully, as Umbra felt all of the tense power drain away from her, staring after the silent and still form of Titania. Her words were low as she spoke for the last time, firm and unyielding. “But if you force my hoof to battle again, it will be for the last time.”

And then she was gone in a burst of tumbleweeds and dust, leaving Umbra once again alone under the cold and distant moonlight. She bit hard at her lower lip for a moment and took a deep and cleansing breath. The cruel necessity of what she had to do was as clear as the cold skies now above her head. Whatever Titania… whatever her so-called sister might say… she would reclaim her power and retake this world, as it was meant to be.

And she would do it with Twilight at her side, because she truly did love her.

No matter how frightening that might be.

Author's Notes:

As a side note, I am deeply sorry for how long this chapter has taken. Hopefully, I'll be able to rectify that issue quickly.

The Twilight Diary has hit a slight delay due to... well, okay ,the scene didn't turn out that good. I needed to do some rewriting. I'm gonna give it a shot tonight, and if It comes out good I'll post it before I go to bed tonight.

Thank you all for your patience, and I hope I'll be able to get a new update out sooner than 8 days later.